Vote. Again.

Georgia voters almost got my daily gratitude post today. Because I am grateful for them. But then I realized I had more to say about this and I needed a blog as well so...

Ta Da!

I am grateful for voters in Georgia today. All of them. No matter who they are voting for. Now, obviously, I have a way I want this election to turn out. I don't actually think it will go the way I want to, but I'm still grateful that there is a chance it will. 

I'm grateful for Stacey Abrams and the work she has done to broaden the voting base in Georgia. It hasn't been an easy task at all. The amount of voter suppression we've witnessed has been remarkable. Not just in her election where the person she was running against was in charge of the election (what??) but to the part where after the presidential election in 2020 and the unprecedented turnout the Republicans running the voting decided that what they really needed to do for the runoff election was shut down more than half of the polling places.

Which actually brings me to my second gratitude part. It shows me that the Republicans in Georgia actually do believe that Biden won. They do believe that the votes cast were legitimate. If they didn't they wouldn't be working at stopping another round of votes this time. So I'm not at all grateful that they continue to try and suppress votes, but I am grateful for them still understanding the votes were legitimate.  

I am grateful for the Republicans who will vote in this election, even though it will most likely mean that the outcome I want won't happen. I'm grateful because it means that for at least a few more days our republic stands. Our version of democracy holds. The faith in our elections is firm. Or maybe not firm, but at least still here.

Because we are on shaky ground. The current president and his minions have done everything they can to try and cast doubt on the election results. Cult45 firmly believes that there was something fraudulent that happened. They are so sure that they are taking the lack of proof that there is fraud to be found as evidence that it was really good fraud. 

The officials that are pushing this narrative are doing it from incredibly cynical spaces. They are using the doubt to fundraise for themselves. Don't Let Them Steal the Runoff! (very fine print showing all donations are not going to the runoff but to their own pockets.) They are trying to curry favor with Trump and with his base thinking that in 2024 they can pick up those voters for their own presidential hopes. Not thinking that if Trump doesn't run again on his own he would want it to be Ivanka or maybe Jr. because that would be a reflection of himself. 

The phone call on Saturday should have closed the door for anyone who actually supports our system. But his followers are too far gone, and his supporting minions are in too deep to actually admit that he is as crooked as he is. That would be admitting that a democrat was right, and that's just not going to happen. 

But...there are still republicans voting in Georgia. That means they still believe their vote counts. That it still matters. That it's not a rigged outcome. That the fix isn't in. That we are still just fighting the voter suppression that they are totally in favor of, not actual fraudulent votes being cast. That belief, that process, that means he hasn't totally shattered us yet. 

Maybe. 

We will see what tomorrow brings.